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I have a lot of excuses for not running for sure, the primary one is that my heart’s accelaration index, which is the peak accelaration of blood flow in the aorta was abnormally low. They also discovered that both of my kidneys were inflamed, causing my erratic blood pressure. I am still undergoing treatment but my cardiologist has already given me the go signal. He said I can run again starting March and today is…drumroll please, the first day of March! Yahooo!

Just this Saturday, February 27, I wore my running shoes, shorts, and shirt, and went out for a five-kilometer walk (no running yet). It took me an hour to finish! I was afraid I’d feel dizzy or run out of breath but surprisingly, that one hour spent walking and breaking a sweat felt really good.

I must confess I miss my running friends. I miss joining races. I miss waking up at dawn for a long run. I miss wearing my running shoes. I miss training. I miss the DOMS. I miss the black toenails (not!) I miss everything about running!

So yes, I’m excited to be back. I will take it slow but I will bear in mind what Shifu said,

If you only do what you can do, you’ll never be better than what you are. (Kung Fu Panda 3)

Greetings from the United Kingdom! After being stressed out for the last two months, my family and I decided to take a short holiday here in the UK.

We were jet-lagging so last night at around midnight we drove around London. I took these photos while inside our moving car.

I have been eating non-stop since we arrived. Hey, I’m on holiday mode. I know it’s really bad since I just signed up for TBRDM 2014. Anyway, I haven’t forgotten about that. It has always been at the back of my mind.

This morning, our friend invited us for breakfast. And since his house was just a few blocks away from our hotel, I told my husband that I’ll just meet them there after I run. I didn’t want to be late for breakfast and so I planned for a 20-minute run.

It was a nice day to run – the weather was nice and sunny. It was my first time to run in a 12 degree Celsius temperature and I loved it. I just kept going and going. But when I saw signs that said “Heathrow”, I knew I was lost.

I called my husband (good thing I brought my mobile phone with me) and wow, I was really on my way to Heathrow! Apparently I missed a turn and I ran all the way towards the airport. So I ran back and after an hour and a few more phone calls, I finally found the house. Whew!

Anyway, my husband and friend gave a sigh of relief when I came and good thing they saved breakfast for me. I was famished!

They said the best way to explore a new place is by foot…and that was what I did this morning.

Last weekend I had the privilege of joining a group of medical doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives, and other volunteers for a medical-dental mission in Basey, Samar. There were more than a thousand patients who came for the free service. I thank all those who sponsored this activity. May your tribe increase a thousand fold.

Two dentists taking a break. Do we look tired? 🙂

Our host was very kind enough to take us around Leyte and Samar. Our first stop: the MacArthur Park in Palo, Leyte. The park was built to commemorate the historic return of General Douglas MacArthur to the Philippine shores on October 20, 1944. I was actually amazed when I saw the statues. What a powerful sight! Before the trip, I have only seen them in books and I was surprised to see that they were so big. haha.

“I shall return.”

We walked around the small town of Basey, Samar. We went to a factory that makes banig, placemats, bags, and other items out of dried leaves. The weavers were really very good. They worked fast and the products were of high quality.

A local lady weaves a fish on to the mat.

Then we found out that there was an organic farm near the place we stayed in. Wow, they just harvested some okra and eggplants. They were fresh and beautiful but the farmers were not selling. Too bad. 😦

On Sunday, my friends and I were ready at 5 in the morning. We couldn’t miss the chance of running on the San Juanico Bridge! It was the highlight of my trip.

The San Juanico Bridge is the longest bridge in the Philippines spanning a body of water and connects the islands of Leyte and Samar. It is exactly 2.162 kilometers. It is also known as the Marcos bridge as it is said to have been a gift from President Marcos to his First Lady, Imelda who hails from Leyte.

Last night we stayed at the New World Hotel in Makati. It was a nice hotel and the service was impressive.

View from our room

My son and I ordered room service for dinner. I had the Caesar roll. It was delicious and filling, I only ate half of it.

Caesar roll with potato wedges

After eating my son and I hit the pool right away. We only had an hour before the pool area closes. There was only one other swimmer so it was very quiet. I tried running in the pool just like what they do in the Biggest Loser. It was hard! The bottom of the pool was slippery and to make it worse, my son, who is taller than me, rode on my back! It was a nice workout. But I don’t know if it burned all the calories from the potato wedges. lol.

We went back to our room just in time for me to watch the only two teleserye that I like: Walang Hanggan and Dahil sa Pag-ibig. After the two shows, it was zzzz time for me.

After a restful sleep, I woke up very early to run a 6K in the hotel’s gym. The gym was clean with modern machines and they provided each person with a soft, scented towel. It was quiet there with no blasting music. The only sound I heard was the pounding of the runners’ feet on the treadmills. I liked it.

After showering we had our breakfast. For me: croissant, egg, roasted tomatoes…